In my mind I imagined being the victim of a Vampire attack. The despair of helplessness, mixed with the dawning horror that there were creatures that went bump in the night. The thought made my stomach twist with dread.
“So what happens if a Bloodling bites another human?” I asked.
“Same thing. Only difference is that Bloodlings have a bizarre affection for their maker if they were a Bloodseeker. If they were a Bloodling, well…” she shrugged. “Let’s just say we’ve had to clean up some big messes before.”
I gave a silent nod.
Gabriella gave me a sideways glance. “It’s not all bad. I mean apart from the whole living forever and needing to feed or you decompose aspects.” She gave a rue smile.
“Like?”
“Well, the sun doesn’t affect them for one. Plus they are far stronger than any human. Also most of them tend to join the HASEA, which as mercenary as it sounds, we need.”
Something Gabriella said stuck in my brain. Sun doesn’t affect them.
“Hold on a second, it’s daytime. Faru said that Pandemonian Vampires were allergic to sunlight.”
My companion pointed through the windshield at the thick grey clouds. “Direct sunlight yeah. Unfortunately it’s overcast. They’ll be weaker, but far from a pushover.”
We fell silent. Gabriella wove in and out of the traffic with expert precision. In fairness, there wasn’t a moment where she looked as if she would lose control.
“Open up the glove compartment,” she instructed suddenly.
I did as she asked and saw a silver gun lying in the narrow recess. I curled my hand around the base and slid it out. The metal was cool to the touch.
“This what you wanted?”
She glanced over and nodded. “That’s for you. Just in case. It’s all you need to take out any Vampire. Keep it hidden though; you aren’t supposed to carry weapons yet.”
I smiled. “Most girls keep CD’s and eyeliner in their glove compartments. Trust you to have a gun.”
“I have eyeliner in there too. A real girl’s ready for any situation.” She winked.
Then her expression sobered. She pointed a delicate finger towards a switch on the side of the gun. “To load it, push that all the way down. Then pull the trigger. Simple as that. It only holds six rounds though, so be careful.”
I looked up. “If I’m not allowed to carry a gun, why are you giving me this?”
For a split second, I could have sworn she went red. But on second glance it could have been a trick of the light. “Because I don’t want you to get hurt Alex,” she answered plainly.
We drove on in silence for a while. I rolled the weapon over in my hand, testing the weight. It felt solid and powerful. It was easy to see why people became obsessed with carrying them. The gun itself looked different to those I’d seen in films. The barrel was long and wide. The grip looked as if it was coated in wet black paint, but felt rubberised to touch. I’d never felt anything like it and had a sneaking suspicion that some of the materials weren’t from my side of the Veil. I tucked the gun in the waistband of my jeans and pulled my top over it. I sat back and glanced in the wing mirror to check that the Range Rover was still following. It was right behind us.
“So why only six bullets?” I asked.
“Because it doesn’t fire bullets. It fires compact wooden stakes. If you need to use it — god forbid, aim at the chest or throat.”
I swallowed audibly. “I don’t know if I can. I–I’ve never fired a gun before.”
Gabriella shot me a sarcastic look. “If you’re about to be Vampire food, I’m confident you’ll learn fast.”
Something beeped next to the handbrake. Gabriella picked up a silver device which resembled a curved phone. I strained to see. Above numerous buttons, an LCD screen showed a sweeping radar. A red square flashed in the top left corner. Gabriella veered across the lanes. Cars mashed their horns and skidded out of the way. My stomach knotted as we mounted the verge and ploughed into Susurrate forest. I gasped, grabbing hold of the seat as we were swallowed by the foliage. Trees scraped along the side of the car as it rocketed forward. The Ferrari slipped and slid on the damp grass as if it were ice. Gabriella had to frantically pull the wheel from side to side to keep the vehicle from spinning out. I wished she’d chosen the Range Rover. If we were going to crash, it would be now.
Mercifully, after a few minutes of vehicular slalom, Gabriella slammed her foot on the brakes bringing the Ferrari to a grinding halt. I breathed a sigh of relief.
She checked the device and nodded, apparently satisfied. As we climbed out — me trembling with adrenaline — the Jeep pulled up a few yards away and settled. With a deft movement, Gabriella slipped the car keys into my back pocket. Then she squeezed my side and walked over to the idling off roader.
The rest of the team climbed out and instantly I was wedged between the two Golems. I re-adjusted my jumper over the waist of my jeans and prayed they wouldn’t notice the slight angle of the gun butt.
Gabriella slid a powerful looking gun out of its holster and pushed a lever on the side. The gun clicked, ready for action. She walked a few feet ahead and turned around to face us.
“Listen up. They’re close. I don’t need to tell you how dangerous this could get if it’s Rahuman. However, we have the element of surprise on our side. They’ll be expecting us to hold at the Warren and wait for them to come to us. They won’t be prepared for a small hunter squad. I want eyes sharp and backs covered. We offer HASEA terms as usual. Let’s hope they refuse them. That bastard doesn’t deserve mercy.”
There were murmurs of agreement. Midnight cracked his knuckles in an exaggerated manner.
Gabriella looked over at Sophia. “Honey, you’re up.
“Okay,” grinned pint size and walked to the front of the group. Crouching down, she placed her fingertips to her temples. Her lips barely moved as she breathed out some kind of incantation. After a few seconds a blue haze appeared around her body. Her frame began to tremor slightly, then she stood up and pointed to our left.
“It’s Rahuman. Plus about twenty Hiveminds. They’re down there, about quarter of a mile.” She ran over to Midnight who gave her a hi-five.
“Brilliant. Okay, so does everyone have at least two boosters?”
The team nodded — all except for Rachel. I looked around blankly. Midnight gestured towards me. “New kid got dosed about twenty minutes ago. It’ll cover him for now.”
Gabriella frowned. “Well I don’t want Alex getting involved.” She slid an injection pen out of a pouch at the back of her belt and held it towards me. “But…take this anyway.”
I warily deposited the booster into my free back pocket, careful to avoid any unwanted injections. One of the Golems swung around to face Gabriella and cocked its head, questioning her with its glowing red eyes.
“As I said doughboy, I want my team sharp…whether they’re fighting or not,” she said flatly.
“What are boosters exactly?” I asked.
Everyone apart from Rachel and the Golems pulled the medical pens out of their pouches and injected themselves with the green liquid, their faces showing the faintest signs of discomfort. I noticed their arms didn’t swell. Must be a first time thing. Gabriella put the empty injector back in her pouch before answering.
“We heal about five times faster than a normal human. Boosters will help you heal twice as fast as that. It’s a liquid compound refined from Luminar blood.”
I remembered what Faru had told me about the Fae being required to donate blood if they joined the HASEA. Now I knew why Rachel didn’t need one.
We made our way through the forest. Everyone was as silent as shadows. The only sound I could hear as we crept over tree roots and moss patches was the nervous beating of my own heart.
The air was thick. Small particles floated in what remained of the daylight. Gabriella led the way. At the back of the group I was still part of the Golem sandwich. One inched forward ahead of me whist the other ed
ged backwards. Their humming crosiers swished from side to side as they surveyed the area.
After a few minutes, the trees began to thin. Ahead many had fallen over, creating a clearing. As we heaved ourselves over the carcass of a fir tree and into the opening, a rustling sound from the trees beyond made us all freeze. It was met with another from further to our right. A twig snapped. The Golems shoved me behind them and stamped their staffs on the ground, igniting the tips. I had to peek through the narrow space between their arms to see what was happening.
The most horrifying scream I’d ever heard ripped through the trees. My blood crystallised. The sound echoed all the way around the forest, repeating itself over and over. Birds took off in fright.
Then came the steady snap of twigs in the near distance. It grew louder and my skin crawled as a pack of Vampires stalked their way into the opening. Unprepared for how they looked, I struggled not to let fear overwhelm me.
Their skin was dark grey and scaled. They walked on all fours, sharp claws digging into the ground. Black marble eyes stared at us, shimmering with hatred. When they blinked, grey lids twitched sideways across the slick surfaces. Their noses were singular horizontal slits, which flared wide like a gaping wound. Slick black hair protruded from their heads, some spilling over their hunched shoulders, the rest tapering into a mane which ran the length of their backs. They growled in unison, exposing yellowing fangs. These weren’t lords of darkness and seduction, these were creatures.
More dropped out of the trees, their feet padding softly on the ground as they landed. I felt the fear rise from my stomach all the way into my throat, thick and burning. “Stay back,” whispered Gabriella. She didn’t need to ask twice. I counted ten in total. They all stood in a line. As still as death. Just watching us.
What are they waiting for?
As if answering my question, their bat like ears began to twitch as they heard something before we did.
The trees parted. A man stepped into the opening. He wore a long cape which he clutched around his body with a clawed hand. His skin was sallow, cheekbones protruding from his face at sharp angles. His ears were only slightly pointed and his eyes looked far more human than the feral beasts in front of him. His greasy hair had been combed backwards. The excess flowed down the sides of the cape.
He stepped forward and stroked the faces of two Hiveminds. They pushed their heads into his hands like adoring pets, making guttural sounds of happiness. He continued forward until he was between the pack and us. His lips peeled back across yellowing dagger teeth. The canines were curved like viper fangs. He wrapped a tongue around them as he took in each person, one by one.
There was no doubt this was the Bloodseeker.
“Ah, the Alliance,” he spoke at last. His voice sounded like stone scraping against gravel. “It seems you’ve located us before we had an opportunity to reach you.” He clapped his sinewy hands together in a drawn out dramatic way. “Bravo.”
“Rahuman,” breathed Gabriella. She clenched her hands into fists. The sound of crunching leather filled the tense silence.
“Nevertheless, the location of our meeting is irrelevant, for the same result will occur…lots of dead Alliance.” The Vampire lifted his hands up and the creatures behind him coiled back onto their hind legs, ready to pounce.
Metal clicked. Half a dozen guns were pointed at Rahuman. All except Delagio, who dug into his pouch and retrieved a selection of wooden marbles like the one I’d seen him playing with earlier. He held them out in his palm and they lifted into the air — about six inches from his hand, spiralling around each other like atoms. Despite our situation, my mouth dropped open in awe.
“You even brought the kinesist with you. Oh I am honoured,” Rahuman mocked. The Golems drew in even tighter to me. I had to put my hand on one to stop it pushing me over. The skin underneath its coat was cold and hard. Just like a statue.
“Rahuman,” said Gabriella, her voice thick with tension, “you are a traitor to the HASEA. As a valued member of the Alliance you were treated with trust and respect. In return you betrayed that trust by leaking vital information to the SOS. In addition since escaping, your pack has spilled both human and Chosen blood. However, as stated in the HASEA treaty because of previous service to the Alliance, surrender now and we will allow you to bypass the death penalty in favour of permanent deportation to Pandemonia.” She stopped speaking. A heavy silence hung in the air. Under his breath, I could hear Midnight chanting over and over. “Don’t surrender, don’t surrender…” The Bloodseeker laughed. The entire pack cackled with him. My insides crawled. The sound was so far removed from human it was indescribable.
“I think I would rather let my brothers and sisters suck the skin from your bones if it’s all the same to you,” Rahuman said with a poisonous glare. He raked a long fingernail across his chin. “Do you remember the previous leader of your team?” He waved his hand in a dismissive manner. “Forgive me, I forget his name. Chopper or something.”
“Cooper,” corrected Gabriella in a biting tone.
“Ah yes that was it. Now I don’t know if I ever told you this, but did you know that before I snapped his spine in half he pissed his pants? Pissed his pants like a little girl.” He sniggered like he’d been told a dirty joke. I felt close to losing my lunch.
“You disgusting creature!” snarled Rachel, her gun trained on his forehead. “I should end you right now.”
Rahuman seemed amused at her outburst. “Me…disgusting? At least I know what I am.” Quick as a flash he drew back a sleeve, exposing a tattoo of what looked like a primitive eye on his forearm. “A true Pandemonian and proud Soldier of Sorrow! What are you, some kind of tamed pet to these mutant bloodsacks? Where’s your dignity?” As his tone grew more aggressive, the pack started snarling and baying. Yet still they didn’t attack. It was as if they were tethered in place by their leader. My heart smashed against my chest. A thousand snakes writhed inside my guts. We were vastly outnumbered and they looked raged.
“And you!” he hissed, thrusting a spiked finger at Gabriella, “you are an abomination!” He spat the words, flicking yellow spittle onto his pale chin. He wiped it with the back of his sleeve.
I shot my head up to look at Gabriella. Abomination? What’s he talking about?
The only reaction she made was to unsheathe the sword from its scabbard on her back. It had an ornate silver handle, with red grips spiralling to the top. The blade was carved entirely from wood. Rotating her hand, she rested the tip on the grass, her left hand still aiming the gun at the Bloodseeker’s head.
Rahuman gestured towards us. “Don’t you see? The HASEA is finished. Hades is on the brink of winning the Ageless war. Pandemonia will be at his mercy. Earth will fall soon after. You cannot hope to stop him. So I will make you a counter offer.” “Oh and what would that be?” asked Delagio, the marbles picking up speed around his hand. “You surrender now and I promise that your death will be swift and merciful.” “It’s you who’s gonna die leech!” growled Midnight. Rahuman started to laugh and then stopped abruptly. I froze…his eyes were fixed on mine.
He cocked his head, staring through the gap between the two Golems. A dark smile slid across his face like a shadow. The rest of the pack emulated his action, thin lips slipping back over their bared teeth. A gravelly noise escaped their throats, providing an eerie bassline to Rahuman’s words.
“Now then, what do we have here? Could it be…I think, yes! I believe you have been so kind as to deliver me the very person I was sent to locate! I must remember to send the Alliance a thank you card after I tear him apart.”
A shiver ran through my body, so deep it rattled my bones.
“Leave him out of this Rahuman; he has nothing to do with it,” warned Gabriella. “This is between us and you.”
The Vampire tutted and waved a bony finger in the air. “Silly little girl. He has everything to do with it.” My friend turned to look at me, confusion and concern filling her face. The Bloodseeker’s ey
es remained fixed on me, no longer blinking. “This is turning out to be a simply fantastic day. Hades will be very pleased with me. After we kill you all, I can take my time with the boy.” He tapped a daggered fingernail against his chin like he was deep in thought. “I think I’ll let my family eat the eyes first.” I balked. “You aren’t going to get anywhere near him,” snarled Gabriella. “I’m going to rip your head off, you bloodsucking parasite!” “Then let us not waste any more time!”
And with that, the battle began. Rahuman raised his hands. The pack sprang forwards — gnashing and snarling. The rattle of automatic gunfire shattered the silence of the forest.
Something shoved me backwards…hard. I tripped over a root and sprawled into the shrubs. The two Golems stood in front of me, creating an X shape with their staffs. Blocking anything from getting to me — I hoped.
From my position in the foliage, I watched with a mixture of horror and amazement as the two groups clashed. Several Hiveminds lay dead already, their bodies reduced to twitching heaps on the grass. Delagio thrust his hand out and the marbles shot out like bullets. They tore into a Vampire’s face, bursting out the back of its skull in an explosion of claret. He flexed his fingers and they circled back to his open palm, stained red. Immediately he fired them again.
Meanwhile, Gabriella dispatched another Hivemind with a well-placed shot to the chest. It joined its fallen brethren on the ground, smoke billowing around the edges of its twisted carcass. With horror I watched as two more leapt at her. Holstering her gun, she rolled underneath one, pulling a wooden stake from her belt and rammed it into the beast’s chest. It screamed and collapsed, writhing in torment as it dissolved into ash. The second landed on her back. Salivating fangs repeatedly snapped at her exposed neck. Only her wrenching fingers, tangled in its lank mane stopped them from connecting. She wrestled, trying to throw it from her back, but couldn’t get a good enough purchase.
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